Jessica Middleton-Pugh

Swedish retailer Clas Ohlson has announced it will be closing most of its UK stores, which includes shops in Manchester Arndale and Liverpool’s Clayton Square.

Clas Ohlson has six stores in the UK and three in Germany. All stores other than a unit in Reading will be shut down, and the focus will instead be on online sales.

The company revealed the news in its quarterly financial update last week, in response to a drop in profits. The difficult retail climate, and the amount of money invested in updating its online sales systems were blamed for the dip. The retailer did however report an increase of 43% in online purchases for the quarter.

The decision will impact 150 jobs, Clas Ohlson said. Closure dates for the stores will be announced depending on lease negotiations at each location.